Ergonomics / Design
Ergonomics is the scientific study of the relationship between people, the equipment they use, and the environment they work in.
Ergonomic design is the application of this knowledge to the design of tools, machines, systems, tasks, jobs and environments for safe, comfortable and effective human use.
Because a large number of injuries at sea can be traced back to design and ergonomic issues, it makes sense to try and reduce worker fatigue and stress, as well as accidents, caused by incorrect man-machine relationships as much as possible. These issues result in low morale, errors in judgements, mistakes and below par performance.
Points to consider include:
- Placing and arrangement of switches, gauges for uniform operation.
- The standardisation of controls on machinery, etc.
- Design and arrangement of tools and equipment.
- Comfortable body posture.
- Access to machinery.
A user-centred approach to design and evaluation can help to avoid many ergonomic problems and result in:
- Lower injury and accident rates;
- Greater user comfort;
- Greater user acceptance;
- Improved reliability;
- Fewer errors and mistakes;
- A general increase in job satisfaction;
- Less absenteeism;
- Increased productivity;
- Improved safety; and
- Reduced fatigue and strain.
